Land Claims

Hi folks .. .there seems to be a lot of threads/ articles, etc. about the Algonquin land claims getting closer to being complete (or are they complete?). I really don't have the time to read through all this info to figure out how this is going to affect the park ... assuming it will affect the park.

Can someone out there that's done some reading be able to save a lazy person like me the time and summarize the likely effect on the park? I assume some lands will be lost in the land claim?

I don't want to start a debate over the whole thing because I know its a touchy subject ... I'd just like to know the quick and dirty predictions based on what we know so far ...

Re: Land Claims

... I'd just like to know the quick and dirty predictions based on what we know so far ...

There's still uncertainty since nothing in the Agreement-In-Principle is legally binding and the references to APP issues could still change. The final agreement still seems to be several years away so things could change.

The quick and dirty seems to be that the AIP recognizes that management for maintenance and restoration of ecological integrity as defined in the Parks Act will be the highest priority when it comes to making decisions.

But the definitions of EC as they apply to APP will vary between interest groups... there is an opportunity for the public to comment on Ontario parks generally here, ending Jan 24:

So will this have any real meaning on the ground? The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has made extensive comments on the shortcomings of APP planning and management as they relate to EC, so it'll be interesting to see if any of that filters down to real policy, and how much is adopted into the final land claims agreement.

Since aboriginal interests are being include in the public consultation above there may be some reference made to APP once the comments are in.

Re: Land Claims

From what I've been able to gather, there will be no APP land transfers, at least from the info in the AIP... all of the park will remain a park. IIRC, there are other Ont parks or pieces of them that will be transferred so they might change. And some new parks lands will be added into the parks system as compensation for the loss. Still, all this is not a certain thing until the final agreement is approved and signed.

Access to fish and wildlife, and harvesting, is more likely to be an issue but since roads are known to be harmful to ecological integrity and since it's agreed that EI is the most significant priority, at least in the AIP, it'll be interesting to see how that's resolved as time goes on.